Summary This position is within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMC), Chaplain Service (CS). Services are provided in settings like Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs), inpatient and outpatient clinics, and domiciliaries across the United States. The CS offers pastoral counseling and treatment to Veterans, their families, and staff in various settings. Responsibilities Cheyenne VA Health Care System - Start, continue, or finish your career here | Cheyenne VA Health Care System (youtube.com) Provides comprehensive religious and spiritual care to Veteran patients, families, and staff in accordance with their faith traditions and individual needs. Serves as a professional Chaplain within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), fully integrated into interdisciplinary treatment teams (IDTs) to support holistic Veteran care. Offers extended and intensive pastoral counseling addressing complex moral, ethical, and spiritual issues, including grief, trauma, terminal illness, and moral injury. Conducts worship services, rituals, sacraments, and spiritual observances for diverse faith groups in a pluralistic environment, ensuring protection from proselytizing or coercion. Provides advance care planning education and counseling, guiding patients and families through ethical decision-making and end-of-life preparation. Delivers emotional and spiritual support through empathetic listening, crisis intervention, and compassionate presence. Participates as a key IDT member, collaborating with physicians, psychologists, nurses, and social workers to integrate spiritual care into treatment plans. Maintains accurate clinical documentation in CPRS/EHRM using approved formats (SOAP or service templates). Leads or participates in complex projects, task groups, and committees to strengthen Chaplain Service operations and outcomes. Provides guidance and mentorship to staff, volunteers, and trainees in spiritual care best practices, fostering staff resiliency and wellness. Serves in specialized clinical settings such as Mental Health, Substance Use Disorder, Hospice & Palliative Care, Oncology, Women's Health, Spinal Cord Injury, and Whole Health Clinics. Offers spiritual assessment and care planning addressing moral distress, ethical dilemmas, and existential concerns. Provides pastoral counseling for a wide range of personal and medical issues including depression, anxiety, confinement, family conflict, and ethical decision-making. Coordinates with community clergy, faith organizations, and volunteers to ensure comprehensive religious support and continuity of care. Represents the Chaplain Service and VHA to external partners, enhancing collaboration with civic, religious, and Veteran organizations. Develops and implements evidence-based, outcome-driven pastoral care programs that promote whole health and emotional well-being. Conducts individual and group interventions, including counseling, educational programs, and staff development activities. Ensures equitable access to spiritual care for all Veterans and staff regardless of background or belief. Provides religious instruction, worship leadership, and special services (e.g., funerals, memorials, seasonal observances) as requested. Coordinates and supervises volunteers and lay religious leaders, ensuring appropriate training and alignment with VHA standards. Offers consultation to other Chaplains and clinicians, providing expert input on spiritual dimensions of patient care. Maintains knowledge of multiple faith traditions, behavioral sciences, and current best practices in spiritual care. Serves as a spiritual advisor during emergencies, natural disasters, or critical incidents, offering crisis stabilization and support. Develops and sustains professional relationships across disciplines, promoting communication and collaboration in holistic patient care. Manages records, supplies, and budgets for assigned Chaplain programs and coordinates coverage during absences. Contributes to policy development, program evaluation, and service improvement initiatives within the Chaplain Service. Ensures compliance with VHA guidelines, ethical standards, and clinical documentation requirements for chaplaincy services. Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 442-50655-A Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. BASIC REQUIREMENTS. To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following: Citizenship. Must be a citizen of the United States English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). Education. Master of Divinity degree or equivalent educational qualifications as evidenced by a graduate-level theological degree from a college, university or theological school accredited by a member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) (https://www.chea.org/) or Association of Theological Schools (ATS) (https://www.ats.edu/) and recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For applicants who do not possess a Master of Divinity degree or equivalent educational degree may meet this requirement with an approved educational equivalency review from a nationally recognized board certification body for chaplains. This would include the Board of Chaplaincy Certification Inc. (BCCI) or a U.S. certifying body that has a reciprocity agreement with BCCI. Endorsement. Applicants must possess and maintain a full and active ecclesiastical endorsement and must be dated within the past 12 months. A complete list of Ecclesiastical Organizations that the Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes as Ecclesiastical Endorsing Organizations is available here: https://www.patientcare.va.gov/chaplain/Ecclesiastical\Endorsement.asp Note: Current VA Chaplains do not have to get updated endorsements after they are hired. Certification. Applicants must be a Board-Certified Chaplain by the Board of Chaplaincy Certifications Inc. (BCCI), or a U.S. certifying body that has a reciprocity agreement with BCCI. Board Certification that requires four units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is qualifying. https://www.apchaplains.org/bcci-site/. Grandfathering Provision. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). GRADE DETERMINATIONS. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, candidates must meet the following grade determining criteria for placement at grade levels specified. Chaplain, GS-12 Experience: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify at the GS-12 level you must possess at least one (1) year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11). Specialty Certification: Specialty certification is demonstrated advanced practice and/or specialization in chaplaincy beyond the board certification. You must possess a Specialty Certification from a professional chaplain certifying body that is directly related to the position being filled. The list of Board Certifying Chaplain Organizations and Specialty Certifying Organization is located here: https://www.patientcare.va.gov/chaplain/Employment\Information\and\Resources.asp Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience and specialty certification requirements above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to apply relevant theories and methodologies to their ministry specialty. Ability to integrate specialized psychological and sociological theory with an advanced approach to spiritual care. Skill to seek out primary research and research literature that informs the ministry specialty and one's spiritual care practice. Skill in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of chaplain practice and services in the specialty area, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes. Ability to mediate conflict, hold various emotions and diffuse moral distress among staff and complex crisis situations. Ability to provide specialized consultation, teaching and mentoring to colleagues and students on advanced spiritual care interventions in the service delivery area. Ability to apply advanced clinical knowledge to write policies, procedures and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area. Preferred Experience: Specialty certification in Grief Recovery, Moral Injury, Mental Health Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. This vacancy is above the full performance level. Physical Requirements: This position requires the Chaplain to meaningfully engage with Veteran patients and family members by walking and moving within the healthcare setting or with the incumbent using an assistive device. The Chaplain is required to speak, hear (hearing aid permitted) and work closely with others. Education Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
